Meaning of birth Buddhism We are reborn from a previous life until we reach nirvana (extinction of all desire and release from suffering). Hinduism We are reborn from a previous life until we realize our oneness with Brahman. The cycle of death and rebirth is called...

Overview of the Minor Prophets: How Well Do You Know the Jewish Bible? or click here for major prophets chart Minor Prophets* dates of ministry 1 Number of chapters Theme Points of Interest New Testament Connection Hosea 760-722 B.C. 14 God’s love for Israel in the...

Biblical Locales, Then and Now Facts Then Today Words and Incidents Nazareth Facts: Located in a high valley with a mild climate. Name may derive from natzerat, watchtower” or netzer, “branch.” Not mentioned in the Old Testament or anywhere outside of the New...

What does the Bible Say about Fasting? The words fast, fasted or fasting appear 61 times in the Old and New Testament. The Hebrew word for fast is pronounced, tsum.” While the Hebrew word means to abstain from food, fasting can also refer to abstinence from...

An Ashkenazic Look at Sephardic Sukkot Customs (What one Reform Jew from Brooklyn learned) I come from an Ashkenazic family, which means we have an Eastern European Jewish background. Sephardic Jews come from Spain, Portugal, the Mediterranean, North Africa and Iraq....

Everything* You Always Wanted to Know About The Three Branches of Judaism * OK so maybe it's just a few things but it's all we could fit on two pages! Names of the branches ORTHODOX CONSERVATIVE(in North America; called Masorti elsewhere) REFORM(called Liberal Judaism...

Lessons from Leaven Next month is Passover, which lasts for one night and is immediately followed by the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which lasts for seven. In preparation for these holidays, we have an in-depth look at leaven. The word “leaven” (chametz, חָמֵץ)...

Passover Symbols IN O.T. ACCOUNTS AT LAST SUPPER AND/OR IN EARLY CHURCH IN RABBINIC TRADITION IN CONTEMPORARY JUDAISM AS APPLIED IN THE CHURCH TODAY BONDAGE AND EXODUS God's dealings with Israel — yearly celebration and remembrance (Ex. 12:24-27) Freedom in Christ...

Tough (?) Jews of the Tanakh Think there’s no way a Jewish carpenter from Nazareth deserves the title of Messiah? The Hebrew Scriptures are full of people whom we’ve considered heroes for generations, but a closer look reveals that these people may have...

Two Pictures of Messiah The book of Zechariah contains many messianic prophecies that, when viewed alongside New Testament passages, seem to point to Jesus. You decide. PROPHECY IN THE TANAKH WHAT THE NEW TESTAMENT SAYS The Messiah would be seen as King Zechariah 9:9...

Blessing Gentiles While we affirm that the Jews are God's chosen people, it is important to note that God's plan from the beginning has always been to bless all people through the Jewish people. TORAH Hebrew Scripture promise or principle of blessing to the non-Jew...

Parallels and Contrasts of Hanukkah and Christmas HANUKKAH CHRISTMAS MACABEES MESSIAH A small band of guerilla fighters supernaturally defeat the King of Syria and all his resources Baby Yeshua (Jesus) supernaturally survives despite Herod’s death warrant on all boys...

Similarities Between the Angel of the Lord and Yeshua There are people who think that the angel of the Lord is Yeshua (Jesus) before he became a man. While the Scriptures do not say this explicitly, there are some remarkable likenesses between the angel and Yeshua. To...

Minor Jewish Holidays Minor Jewish holidays are described as such because they are not designated in the first five books of the Scriptures. These holidays commemorate various events throughout the history of the Jewish people and are to remind us of God's hand in all...

God's Plan for Jews and Gentiles If you began receiving the Jews for Jesus newsletter after hearing one of our missionaries speak at your church, you probably filled out one of our involvement cards.” Perhaps you remember the boxes we ask folks to check on the...

A Study on Biblical Concepts of Peace in the Old and New Testaments To see the chart in its original context, click here and go to page 4 Peace in the Tenach (Jewish Scriptures)—shalom שָׁלוֹם‎ Peace in the New Testament—eirene εἰρήνη Word Origin and Meaning The root...

Autumn Feasts (Chart) Feast Season Temporal Significance for Israel Under the Law Future Significance for all God’s People Under Grace Scripture Event Yom Truah: The Day of Trumpets also known as Rosh Hashanah Head of the Year Fixed date on the Hebrew calendar is the...

Jewish Law and the New Testament Christian scholars, ministers and laity have known for a long time that a knowledge of Jewish customs is not only helpful but necessary for a proper understanding of the New Testament. To meet this need, countless books and articles...

The Talmud and the Gospels No Jewish scholar can fail to recognize that the teaching of Jesus forms one of the most unique codes in the world. Dr. Joseph Klausner, for many years professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, states in his epoch-making book, Jesus...

THE SEDER is the religious ceremony which tells the story of Passover. It’s a family-oriented service which includes a meal. There really isn’t anything comparable to it in modern Christian tradition, so if you’ve never been to one, it might best be...